The Chicago Japanese American Historical Society (CJAHS) is a non- profit group dedicated to preserving the dynamic history of Japanese Americans in Chicago. This blog is dedicated to my experience assisting with the organization's interesting and complex archive.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

The Chicago Japanese American Historical Society archive has moved to Heiwa Terrace. We have been provided a small office on the 12th floor with a gentle window lighting. Certainly an improvement from our last location. The pieces of the archive have been organized and we are merely waiting for the additional shelves to come in so that our already accessioned materials can be put into their proper positions.
At first, the task of moving the archive seemed overwhelming, but now that all the largest pieces have been arranged, the room looks like a proper office. The momentary chaos of the many boxes has been eliminated.

Another project taken on by the CJAHS is a film project documenting the philosophical and ethical implications of the prejudice Japanese Americans faced following the Second World War. The project has bloomed and is nearly complete, but due to budget restrictions we are unable to distribute the final draft just yet. Several scenes use clips from the National Archive to help give an uncommon sense of authenticity to the art/philosophy film. These clips come at a cost however, and the CJAHS has nearly reached its limit. That is why I am going to start an indiegogo campaign to help raise some funds so that the film can be distributed within the full limitations of the law.

Soon a link will be posted for the indiegogo campaign. If you have any interest in the film and our objectives I highly encourage you to visit the campaign site to watch a few trailers and clips from the film so far.